{"id":656,"date":"2015-02-09T05:00:12","date_gmt":"2015-02-09T13:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/?p=656"},"modified":"2015-02-08T14:55:44","modified_gmt":"2015-02-08T22:55:44","slug":"new-years-resolutions-gone-bad-motivation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/2015\/02\/09\/new-years-resolutions-gone-bad-motivation\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year\u2019s Resolutions Gone Bad: Motivation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Jay Diamond<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/files\/2013\/12\/Vitamin-J-new-300x300.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-156 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/files\/2013\/12\/Vitamin-J-new-300x300-150x150.png\" alt=\"Vitamin J \" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/files\/2013\/12\/Vitamin-J-new-300x300-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/files\/2013\/12\/Vitamin-J-new-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/files\/2013\/12\/Vitamin-J-new-300x300-37x37.png 37w, https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/files\/2013\/12\/Vitamin-J-new-300x300-184x184.png 184w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>It\u2019s February and my New Year\u2019s Resolutions are already in the toilet.<\/p>\n<p>The first resolution was to be slightly less Fergalicious in 2015, but there are some things you just can\u2019t help. \u00a0I fail at this every year.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>ONE DOWN.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>My big skeptical resolution was to not assume,\u00a0despite overwhelming, undeniable evidence, that all Americans are Taylor Swift fans. I mean she\u2019s sold <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2014\/nov\/06\/taylor-swift-responsible-22-per-cent-sold-us-1989\" target=\"_blank\">about as many songs as there are Americans buying records<\/a>, so there\u2019s pretty much irrefutable proof, but still I know there are a few outliers (but not after you watch <a href=\"http:\/\/j.mp\/1v9jgIA\" target=\"_blank\">this<\/a>). I&#8217;ve already failed on this one. I know\u2026 haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate\u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>TWO DOWN.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>At some point I\u2019ll do an entire blog on Taylor Swift Denial, but that\u2019s not for today.<\/p>\n<p>My third and final resolution was to blog here bi-weekly, but a new job and lots of travel has cratered this one as well.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>THREE STRIKES. I&#8217;ve failed, and <a title=\"Failure is Success \" href=\"http:\/\/j.mp\/VitaminJ7\" target=\"_blank\">not in the good way<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Poor excuses, I know, but it highlights the very poor record of people making clear New Year\u2019s Resolutions. Some will tell you that <a href=\"http:\/\/j.mp\/1v9MMhB\" target=\"_blank\">those who make New Year\u2019s Resolutions are 10 times more likely to meet them<\/a> \u2013 and that\u2019s true. It\u2019s also true that those who predict the future by rolling chicken bones are 26 times more likely to accurately predict the future than those who don\u2019t. (See Footnote 1)<\/p>\n<p>A common resolution is to get fit\u2026 so I thought I\u2019d address that one. It\u2019s so easy to get busy and push off your fitness goals\u2026 and resolutions are fragile. Motivation is key, and so I present my top 5 motivating exercises. Several of these are my own term, generated to motivate me\u2026 and you should create your own terms to that end.<\/p>\n<p>Each of these was completely, unimaginably unobtainable when I started. I seriously didn\u2019t think I\u2019d ever get to the level I\u2019m at today and it happened over months and months with an intense goal to conquer them. Don\u2019t rush these.<\/p>\n<p>I routinely have people ask me about or watch me do these exercises, primarily due to the risk\u00a0factors\u00a0(see \u201cfreak-out factor\u201d and &#8220;reason it&#8217;s cool&#8221; below).<\/p>\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/j.mp\/1CG9q8W\">Skull Crushers<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5\">Common Name<\/strong><span style=\"line-height: 1.5\">: Skull Crushers \/ Tricep Isolation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Muscle Group<\/strong>: Arms \/ Triceps<\/li>\n<li><strong>Freak-out Factor<\/strong>: 6\/10<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reason it\u2019s cool<\/strong>: Risk of slamming a big heavy weight on your face.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Comments<\/strong>: I just love the name and telling people that I do \u201cskull crushers\u201d. I do it with a dumbbell (which adds to the perception of skull crushing) on a declined bench, but there are lots of variations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Getting there<\/strong>: Start with low weight and work your way up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=izGUa6Z5-54\">Suicide Vest<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong> Common Name<\/strong>: Weighted pull-ups<\/li>\n<li><strong> Muscle Group<\/strong>: \u00a0Upper body (esp. back, arms)- will give you \u201cwings\u201d.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Freak-out Factor<\/strong>: 7\/10<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reason it\u2019s cool<\/strong>: A lot of people aspire to do pull-ups well, and those who struggle will really appreciate good form with weight.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Comments<\/strong>: \u00a0It doesn\u2019t take much weight to really feel the burn \u2013 20 lbs. will crush you. If you have good form and can complete 3 sets of 10 pull-ups (or more), this is my favorite step-up exercise. Rather than buying a vest or belt, you can bring an empty backpack to the gym, put in a plate of your choosing, and do your pull-ups (cheap &amp; adjustable).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Getting there<\/strong>: Many gyms have pull-up \u201cassists\u201d machines if you can\u2019t complete a full pull-up (they effectively reduce the full weight of your body). Build this until you can do a full set of normal pull-ups, then consider adding weight. You could also put a plate\/dumbbell between your legs, but then you don\u2019t get the cool exercise name.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/j.mp\/1v9Jr1Y\">Back Extension<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Common Name<\/strong>: Back Extension<\/li>\n<li><strong>Muscle Group<\/strong>: Lower Back (you\u2019ll walk with perfect posture for a few days if done right) &amp; core<\/li>\n<li><strong>Freak-out Factor<\/strong>: 8\/10<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reason it\u2019s cool<\/strong>: Looks preposterous with big weight<\/li>\n<li><strong>Comments<\/strong>: Start with no weight and work your way up.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Getting there<\/strong>: Start with no weight on the back extension machine (available in most gyms) and work your way up. When you get to 90 lbs. (2 big plates), you need to switch to deadlifts to continue improvements\u2026 which are awesome but have a lower freak-out factor and require perfect form to avoid injury. Back extensions are a little more forgiving due to the isolation of the back extension machine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/j.mp\/1CGx9Ww\">Captain Kirk Chairs<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Common Name<\/strong>: Captain\u2019s Chair \/ High leg lift<\/li>\n<li><strong>Muscle Group<\/strong>: Abdominals\/core<\/li>\n<li><strong>Freak-out Factor<\/strong>: 9\/10<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reason it\u2019s cool<\/strong>: Anyone who\u2019s tried the Captain\u2019s Chair knows that it\u2019s tough\u2026 really tough. But doing high leg lifts takes it to a whole new level that dramatically raises the freak-out factor.\u00a0Will illicit double-takes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Comments<\/strong>: If you master these, you can step it up even more to hanging leg lifts. A key is not to sway\u2026 to be in total control on every rep.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Getting there<\/strong>: Start by raising your knees-only to get in a tuck-position (this is already a GREAT ab exercise and exhausting if you\u2019ve never done it). Once that\u2019s mastered go for straight-leg lifts to a horizontal position. Next is raising your legs over your head. Note \u2013 this could take MONTHS to achieve.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NhKiPJI6w98\">Mission Impossibles<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Common Name<\/strong>: Double TRX Chest Fly\u2019s<\/li>\n<li><strong>Muscle Group<\/strong>: Chest \/ Core<\/li>\n<li><strong>Freak-out Factor<\/strong>: 10\/10<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reason it\u2019s cool<\/strong>: Very high chance of face plant<\/li>\n<li><strong>Comments<\/strong>: \u00a0Without question, the most comments I get at the gym around my Mission Impossibles, and I routinely get people interrupting me to ask about these. If you\u2019ve seen the original Mission Impossible movie, <a href=\"http:\/\/j.mp\/1CGzjWq\">you know the scene<\/a>. I like to do a press (suspended push-up) followed by a fly (spread-eagle). Three sets of 8 and you\u2019re jello\u2026<\/li>\n<li><strong>Getting there<\/strong>: Start with single TRX pushups \u2013 near-vertical if necessary. These aren\u2019t easy, since they require lots of stabilization muscles \u00a0not required by standard push-ups. Slowly lower yourself until horizontal. When you can do 3 sets of 10, start doing flys. Finally, jump to the double TRX (leg suspension). This requires still-more stabilization, but if you can do the presses and flys, it\u2019s not a huge jump to the double TRX.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Do you have great motivational exercises with high freak-out factors?<\/p>\n<p><em>Footnote 1)\u00a0Source: Statistic completely made-up, but it doesn\u2019t matter since people that make claims are much more likely to have their claims be both accurate <strong>and<\/strong> inaccurate. Which is like saying that people who make claims are more likely to make claims. It&#8217;s completely meaningless.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">____________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/files\/2013\/09\/JD-Portrait-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-41\" src=\"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/files\/2013\/09\/JD-Portrait-1.jpg\" alt=\"JD Portrait 1\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/files\/2013\/09\/JD-Portrait-1.jpg 200w, https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/files\/2013\/09\/JD-Portrait-1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>Jay Diamond<\/strong>\u00a0writes the VitaminJ blog on evidence-based fitness &amp; bodybuilding. Jay\u00a0is the founder of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/reason4reason.org\/\">Reason4Reason<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 a skeptical activist group based in the San Francisco bay area. He holds dual masters degrees in engineering and business and has managed both startup companies and hundred-million-dollar programs for Fortune 50 companies. Growing up in Canada, he performed magic, studied science, and became aware of the skeptical movement. Jay has lectured around the world on science &amp; technology, business, and skepticism.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I like to do a press (suspended push-up) followed by a fly (spread-eagle). Three sets of 8 and you\u2019re jello\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,30,26],"tags":[34,33,49,38,55],"class_list":["post-656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness","category-jay-diamond","category-skepticism","tag-bodybuilding","tag-fitness-2","tag-health","tag-motivation","tag-vitaminj"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=656"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":657,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656\/revisions\/657"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}